Former Chipolopolo winger Clifford Mulenga has opposed the decision by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Council to expand the number of Super League teams from 18 to 20 effective next season.
During last week’s FAZ annual general meeting in Ndola, FAZ councillors voted overwhelmingly to increase the number to 20 when the matter was put to a vote.
When advancing the proposal, Northern Province Committee member David Mbulo said the provincial teams supported the motion as it gave them hope of one day having representation in the top level.
But Mulenga said increasing the number of teams in the top league does not automatically develop football.
South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria all have 16-team top leagues.
The 2007 CAF Young Player of the year observed that strong leagues are built on professional administration, sustainable club financing, elite academies, infrastructure development, coaching education, and competitive intensity.
“Well-organized football nations understand that quality, finances, infrastructure, player development and competitiveness matter more than political excitement and populist decisions. Meanwhile, we continue believing that increasing the number of teams automatically develops football,” Mulenga said.
“Increasing teams will only stretch already struggling clubs financially. The quality of competition will decline. Travel and operational costs will increase. Player development will weaken. Recovery time will be reduced. More players and coaches will go unpaid. And eventually, the overall standard of football will drop even further,” he said.
The football consultant and commentator questioned whether FAZ wanted a bigger league or a stronger league.
“Football is not developed structurally by simply adding more teams. Football is developed structurally by improving the quality of the entire ecosystem,” Mulenga said.
“African football is evolving fast. Countries like Morocco, Egypt and South Africa are investing in structure, infrastructure and long-term sustainability,
not noise,” he said.
Mulenga is the immediate past FAZ youth football coordinator.
The FAZ Council has also changed the football calendar from the May to August cycle to the March to November cycle.
Ba LT where is my post?
Yayi ba Mulenga. This just means football clubs and FAZ need to examine the business end of Zambian soccer. Are clubs making money from this industry? Why not? How does SA rugby with fewer followers run its business positively?
Where is the FAZ business model failing? Ba Mulenga, Why will Travel and operational costs increase when more teams should mean more revenue? In a young footballing nation FAZ and business should be creative enough to reap from an industry with great potential.
They should be able to find a working plan.
Invite Josep Moise and Patrice Motsepe to share with you the secret of their success stories at TP Mazembe and Mamelodi Sundowns
Kwena naine nshamona why soccer should be a begging bowl industry. With all those fans, all that advertising market, all those billboards in the stadium, all those electronic billboards, all those jerseys waiting for advertisers,
FAZ have you ever heard of the superbowl? You cant organise something like that at your Cup final? I know, you are waiting for a white businessman to come from Europe and sell you the idea.
Which African country runs football profitably? I just want to know. The SAFA is so incompetent yet they are in a very commercial country
Soccer in Zambia needs a savior. It’s not doing what it should do. Exploiting it’s huge following for a successful industry.
It’s very much underperforming. Government should think seriously about how to revive this industry and denting unemployment.